Islander’s new book provides mental, emotional tools to improve golf game
A book that was in the works for two years is finally available to purchase for golfers who are looking for mental and emotional tools to enhance their game.
Don Lay, a St. James City resident and former touring and teaching tennis professional, said his friend, Tracy Hanlon, who lives in West Palm, introduced him to Dr. Preston Waddington after he showed interest in writing a book. He said Waddington had a book to write, but did not have the time to write it himself.
“So that’s where I came in,” Lay said.
Waddington, a private practice psychoanalyst provides help to top athletes – golfers – to increase their performance under pressure, therefore helping them reach their full potential.
‘This is a book for golfers, all golfers,” Waddington said in a prepared statement. “Playing golf correctly means playing golf with a cohesive sense of self, which is elevating, enriching and positive.”
Although Lay has written articles for magazines, along with screenplays, this is his first attempt at a book. He said the experience was different because he wrote other people’s words.
“It was interesting to take what he gave me in terms of interviews,” Lay said.
In addition, the book writing process was an adventure because Waddington and Lay published the book themselves through CreateSpace.
“We had total control over it,” he said. “It’s a really great project love the cover and the illustrations look great.”
He described the book, “The Now Golfer: The Psychology of Better Golf,” to be different than the average golf book.
“It’s not about golf, but the average golfer,” Lay said. “There are no swing instructions, it’s all about what is going on inside of you. We are working on the inside of people, what they are thinking and feeling.”
“The Now Golfer,” he said provides management techniques on how to change thinking and deal with emotions in high stressful situations in the last few rounds of a tournament.
Time is another topic throughout the book.
“He likes to teach people the perception of time,” Lay said, which includes the past and the now.
While writing the book, Lay said he learned a tremendous amount of information, which includes the perception of time, stress, relationship with time and how to deal with your own mind. He said the book demonstrates different ways for individuals to see themselves in a different light, which is uplifting, beneficial and enriching.
The book also includes illustrations from Jennifer Holloway, a St. James City resident.
“The Now Golfer’ is divided into various chapters, Lay said, so it could be used as a reference book.
The book can be purchased on Amazon.com and www.nowgolfer.com.
Lay said it can also be purchased on Kindle within the next few weeks, as well as stores in the next month.